KarMi OS Collection: Kahaaniyan - Page 5

THE CONFRONTATION:

Note: This is set in the same universe as 'Bundelkhand' and 'A Judgmental Meeting'. Read them before reading this one for better understanding.
This is an intermediate, short part. Part 3 of 5.

"Karan", Monami leaned over, and he flicked his eyebrows up in question. "Gun milegi?"

"Kyun?" He asked. The two were keeping their bags in a room, which was shown to them by Sanju's mother-in-law, the rest of the academy people waiting outside.

"Jaise tumne mujhe galti se goli maari thi, inhe main maar deti hoon", she muttered back, nodding to Amma ji. "Agar ek aur baar, inhone mere kapdon par comment kiya, main sach mein koi injection lagakar hamesha ke liye sula doongi ya tumhaari gun se is mein bahut saare chedh kar doongi."

"Shaant, Jhansi ki Rani. Shaant", he muttered. "Murder allowed nahi hai. Jab tumhe goli maari thi, toh tum logon ne bacha liya tha, aur tum mari nahi thi, warna main jail mein hota. Agar tum jail chali jaogi, toh mera kya hoga? Main kaise rahoonga tumhaare bina?"

She smiled a little.

"Je dekho", Amma ji said. "Kaise maure par has raho hai? Aise hi phasato hain!"

"Haan, kyunki ladkon mein toh akal hoti hi nahi hai, na?" Monami said, and Karan pulled her back down when she started to walk a little closer. "Inhe toh kuch samajh aata hi nahi hai! Special Agent toh naam ke hain. Ladki has de toh sab kuch chodhkar bhaag aate hain. Hai, na?"

"Badhon se baat karne ki tameez naa hogo tujhe, mori", she said. "Maa ne kuch sikhaaya nahi tujhe?"

Karan's jaw clenched, as Monami's face dropped.

"Wo hai nahi", she said, looking away. "Shaheed ho gaye the."

"Sena mein the?" She asked, and Monami nodded. "Shaadi ke baad bhi?"

"Of course. Shaadi se kya farak padta hai?"

"Tabhi tu aisi hai", Amma ji concluded. "Maa toh idhar udhar rehti hogo tabhi naa sanskaar diye, naa tameez. Isliye hi aisi hogo tu."

Karan's patience broke as a single tear ran down her face.

"Aap badhi hain isliye sirf warning de raha hoon", he gritted out, walking closer to her, and she took a step back on to the porch.

The cadets outside looked up, and Faizi inspected Karan's tense form.

"Pakka kuch Monami ko ulta bol diya hai inhone", Suman ji said. The others nodded in agreement.

"Aaj ke baad kisi shaheed ko disrespect kara aapne, chaahe ladka, chaahe ladki, main yeh nahi dekhoonga ki aap mujhse badhi hain."

"Aye", Kundan said. "Humaari Amma se aise-"

He held up a hand, just inches from his face, glaring at him. The cadets' eyes widened, seeing the tears on Monami's face as she stepped on to the porch too.

"Pakka Monami ki maa ke baare mein bolo hogo", Sanju muttered, looking between the two.

"Chup", Karan ordered, dangerously quiet. "Zyaada bola, tujhe yahin thok doonga main."

"Ulti Khopdi", Faizi muttered, moving closer to him in case he actually did start swinging his fists.

"Aur aap!" He continued, smiling sarcastically. "Aapki maa ne nahi sikhaaya aapko? Logon ki izzat kaise karte hain? Bolne ki tameez? No? Aapki bhi army mein thi? Ya bas sikhaana aata nahi tha?"

She whipped her hand, and he clutched her hand before she could slap him.

He clicked his tongue. "Special Agent hoon main. Haath bhi nahi laga sakte aap mujhe."

"Hum toh laga sakto hain", Kundan said, swinging his fist up. Karan clutched his wrist without looking, and he struggled briefly, trying to overpower him. His gaze lifted, and he glared at Kundan.

"Nahi", Karan said. "Itna mat udh. Dor yahin kaat doonga main. Bahut maza aata hai mujhe. Tu bhi nahi laga sakta haath mujhe. Par maine haath lagaaya, bachega nahi tu." He released his wrist, tilting his head and glaring at him. "Shaadi hai teri, warna ek do toh maar hi deta."

He glanced around the people gathered, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do baatein. Pehli, mere cadets ke baare mein kisi ne bhi kuch bhi kaha, toh aap logon ko pata bhi nahi chalega ki aapke saath kya hua. Unke character, unke kapdon par koi comment nahi karega. Doosri, agar yahan meri academy, army ya shaheedon ki beizzati hogi, toh main wo sehen nahi karoonga."

Karan walked over to Monami, wiping her tears gently, and Faizi smiled slightly. "Janaab, apni waali ke liye duniya se bhi lad lenge", he muttered, sighing happily.

BADLAAV:

Note: This is set in the same universe as 'Bundelkhand', 'A Judgmental Meeting' and 'The Confrontation'. Read them before reading this part.
This is Part 4 of 5.

Amma ji looked up as her bhatija tapped her shoulder, and she smiled at him.

"Bol, maude, ke chahiye tujhe?" She asked.

"Bua, mujhe, na, wo... wo..." He said, blushing a little.

"Ise koi pasand aa gayi hai", Kundan said.

"What? Really, bro?" Sid asked. He flicked his eyebrows up. "Kaun hai wo?"

"Wo", Anuj, her bhatija said, nodding to someone. Sid followed his gaze, raising an eyebrow at the group of cadets.

"Maude, kaunsi waali?" Amma ji asked.

"Wo, white top mein", he said, and Sid's eyes widened.

"Monu!?" He almost shrieked. "Tumhe Monu pasand aa gayi hai?"

He shook his head. "Pasand nahi, bhai. Pyaar! Bua, shaadi ki baat karo, na? Please keh rahe hain?"

"Haan, haan, tujhse pasand aayi toh hum zaroor kuch karoge", Amma ji said. She made a face. "Par yahi pasand aa raho hai tujhe?"

'In mein se ek ko meri waali pasand aa gayi hai, ek meri bro ko pasand kar chuka hai, aur ek toh mujhe hi pasand kar chuki hai', he thought. 'Yahan par jo bhi aata hai, yeh log bina shaadi ke waapas nahi bhejte kya?'

"Uh, ek minute, guys?" Sid said. "Wo, uh, mujhe baat karni hai in sab se." He dashed to them before anyone could get a word out.

"Kya hua?" Karan asked, glancing behind him.

"Wo... wo jo Anuj, matlab Aunty ji bro ka bhatija hai, na, use koi pasand aa gayi hai", he huffed out. "Aur Aunty uss ladki ke saath uski shaadi karwaane ki baat kar rahe the."

Faizi stifled a laugh, staring at him. "Kaun?"

"Monu bro", he said.

"Kya? Kaun hai wo? Main-" Karan said, and Monami pinched his arm lightly. Her eyes darted to the cadets, giving him a stern look.

"Oh ho, Monami madam", Bala said.

"#No, no. Aisi #relative toh door door bhi na mile", Chitra said. "Yahi kehti rahegi poori #life, 'aye mori, kapde chote hain.'" She mocked her tone, and everyone laughed at her impression, even Karan sporting a smile.

"Suman ji ko toh yeh samajh nahi aa raho hai ki yeh tujhe pasand karto hai ya nahi, Monami. Abhi apne bhatije ka rishta karane ki baat kar raho hai, aur pehle, tujhe itna sunaaya usne. Chudail."

Aneesh clenched his jaw lightly. 'Ab yeh Karan kam tha, jo yeh ek aur aa gaya hai?' He thought.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Wo Amma ji ka stupid bhatija toh nahi jaa raha tumhaare saath, na?" He asked.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Nahi. Nahi, jaa raha hai."

"Ho sake toh door rehna", he said.

"Karan, tum possessive kyun ho rahe ho?" She asked. "Main tumhaari hi hoon. I love you." She glanced around before leaning up and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I love you too", he said.

"Main baaki cadets ke saath village tour par jaa rahi hoon. Tum bhi aa jao?"

He shook his head a little. "Maine dekha hua hai. Aur mujhe Faizi se kuch baat karni hai. Tum sab jao."

She made a face. "I'll miss you", she said, smiling at him, before running up to join the other cadets.

He rested his head on the wall, watching quietly as she met up with the others, the cadets playing around with each other. He smiled slightly, watching her laugh, and he sighed a little, staring at her.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Sanju, kal tumhaari shaadi hai", Faizi teased. "Kya soch rahi ho?"

"Yeh soch raho hain ki kisi ka muh naa todh payenge ab", she joked.

"Shaadi kar rahi hai. Dentist ka clinic band karne ki kya zaroorat hai?" Karan asked, and she sighed.

"Sir ji..." She said.

"Monami ji", a voice said, and the academy people looked up, finding a man. Karan raised an eyebrow at his dressed up form, his hair slick with tons of gel.

"Anuj", Sid muttered, and Karan's eyes narrowed, looking him up and down.

He produced a rose from behind his back, kneeling down on one knee, and holding it out to Monami.

"Humne aapko apna dil de diya hai, Monami ji", Anuj said, and Sid's hand flew to his mouth, stifling a laugh. "Humse shaadi kar lijiye. Kasam se, bahut achhe se rakhenge aapko."

Monami stared at him, blinking at the rose he held out. Karan's jaw clenched, and his hands curled into fists.

"Janaab-" Faizi started, wincing as he stormed over to the man.

She gasped as Karan clutched his throat, slamming into a wall, and hands flew to mouths, as everyone stared in shock.

"Karan!" Monami said, as he squeezed his throat a little. "Chodho use!"

"Door reh Monami se", he hissed. "Agar use dekha bhi, toh aankhein nikaal loonga teri! Stay away from her! Samjha?"

"Karan", Faizi said, pulling him away and Anuj slid to the ground, gasping slightly as he clutched his throat.

The villagers stayed back, looking wide eyed at him.

"Humaari Dadi ne kaho tha ki aise log rakshas ka roop hoto hain", a small kid muttered to a friend.

"Par soch, inhone apni dost ke liyo Amma ji ke bhatije tak ko maar diyo", another one muttered, smiling dreamily.

"Haan, Karan Bhai ji", Bala said. "Bilkul sahi kar rahe hain aap."

"#Go, Karan Sir", Chitra said.

Monami glared at the two harshly, and the two looked around innocently.

Karan shrugged Faizi's arms off. "Iske baare mein sochna bhi mat. Dimaag zameen par hoga tera."

"Karan!" Monami said.

"Kya? Tumhe karni hai shaadi isse?" He asked.

"Karan, kya bol rahe ho tum?" She snapped.

"Meri girlfriend ho tum, Monami", he said. "Aur iss namoone ko dekhne ka bhi haq nahi hai tumhe. Himmat kaise hui ise tumhe propose karne ki?" He pulled her closer, engulfing her in a hug, and Monami numbly lifted her hands in a hug. Did he just disclose their relationship?

"#Called it", Chitra said, clapping excitedly.

Bala whistled, clapping. "Mujhe toh pehle hi pata tha. Monami Madam aur Karan Bhai ji, ILU ILU."

"Suman ji ko bhi pata tha."

"Mujhe bhi shanka thi", Prem ji agreed.

"Hume naa pato tha ki aap kisi se pyaar karti hain", Anuj said, and they pulled away, finding his eyes downcast. "Hume maaf kar do. Par humaare pyaar ko naa bhoolna."

"Teri toh-" Karan said, and Monami immediately pulled him back.

"Karan!" She said. "Bichaara maafi maang raha hai. Aur pyaar ka izhaar hi toh kiya tha, badtameezi thodi na kari hai, itna violently kyun react kar rahe ho?"

"Maude, theek toh hogo tu?" Amma ji said, running over to him. "Zyaada chot toh naa lagi? Aye mori, teri-" She trailed off, as Karan's fierce eyes slid to her, looking away from him.

"Bhai, theek ho tum?" Kundan asked, inspecting his throat. He looked at Karan angrily, and he narrowed his eyes back dangerously. Kundan looked away, focusing on his cousin.

"Itna gussa kyun karte ho tum?" Monami said, sighing. "Anuj, I am sorry."

"Ke sorry?" Amma ji snapped. "Naa akal hogo, na tameez. Aur-"

Karan took a step forward, and she fell quiet.

"Chal, maure, chal", she said, quickly urging him inside.

Monami turned to Karan, crossing her arms. "Kya zaroorat thi? Karan, tumhe itna gussa kyun aata hai?" She sighed in frustration, shaking her head.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Yeh mori itna raat ko kahan jaa rahi hai?" Amma ji thought, as Monami passed by the window. 'Isse toh baat karni padegi hume.'

Aneesh looked up, as he saw a figure pass by the window, recognizing the built as Monami's. 'Yahi sahi mauka hai. Baat kar leta hoon. Karan se waise bhi naraaz hai yeh.'

The two got out of their rooms, following her, unaware of the other. Karan pulled her into a room, and the two ducked down, peeking through the window to see her.

"Chodho mujhe", Monami protested, wrenching her hands away from his grasp.

He dashed in front of her, and she tried to move past him, before sighing.

"Arey, suno toh sahi", Karan said. He clutched her arm, pulling her closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she sighed, lifting hers and wrapping hers around his neck.

Amma ji stared at them, hand flying to her mouth. "Haaye, Ram! Shaadi se pehle itne kareeb?"

"I know thoda zyaada gussa aa gaya mujhe, par... kisi aur ke saath tumhe dekhne ka soch bhi nahi sakta hoon."

"Kya zaroorat thi itna dhamkaane ki use? Chota sa crush tha. Itna harsh rejection mil gaya usko. Main kaunsa shaadi karne waali thi. Mujhe tumhaara alaawa kisi mein interest nahi hai, Karan. Aur sabko aise bata diya. Aur tumhe itna violently nahi react karna chahiye tha", she said. "Use kitna bura laga hoga, Karan."

He sighed. "Shayad zyaada kar diya", he admitted. "Aur sabko aise nahi bataana chahiye tha. I am sorry."

'Yeh Monami bhi, na', Aneesh thought bitterly, staring at the scene. 'Thodi der bhi gussa nahi rehti Karan se.'

"Waise..." he continued, pushing her gently against a wall. "Maine bataaya tumhe? Tum bahut achhi lag rahi ho."

Monami shook her head. "Tum compliments dekar manane ki koshish kar rahe ho?"

"Itna calculative nahi hoon main. Mujhe aisa manaana nahi aata."

"Haan, haan, pata hai mujhe kitne calculative ho tum", she said. "Kitna dimaag chalta hai tumhaara, pata hai mujhe."

"Tum hoti ho samne, toh dimaag nahi chalta. Tumhaare upar dhyaan hota hai."

"Flirt kar rahe ho tum?"

"Haan. Girlfriend ho, flirt toh kar hi sakta hoon. Nahi?" He said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She leaned up, kissing his cheek.

Amma ji kept a hand on her chest, staring at the scene. "Haaye Ram. Yeh mori! Aur yeh maura kaunsa kam hogo?"

"Bahut pyaar karta hoon main tumse", he said. "Tumhaare bina reh nahi sakta, aur kisi aur ke saath dekha nahi jaata, isliye thoda possessive ho gaya. I am sorry."

She smiled a little, nodding. "Main sirf aur sirf tumhaari hoon, Karan. Kisi aur ke saath rehna hi nahi mujhe, toh possessive hone ki kya zaroorat?"

'Pyaare toh saath mein lagto hain', Amma ji thought, a small smile pulling through. 'Shaadi kar lein, aur inki jodi salaamat rahe.' She shook her head, 'Sanskaar ki kami toh par dono mein hi hai. Par maa na hogo, toh kaise hi sikheegi?'

'Itne ghatiya lagte hain saath mein', Aneesh thought, glaring at them. 'Inhe toh door karna hi padega.'

Karan leaned down, slowly pressing his lips against hers.

Amma ji covered her face with her hands, straightening up and walking off. "Yeh shehar ki hawa", she muttered, shaking her head. "Itni jaldi ki shaadi tak bhi naa ruk sakto hain."

Aneesh stared at them, jaw and fists clenched as he stared at them kissing. "Nahi, Monami, tum meri hi hogi", he muttered to himself, walking off. He tripped on a rock in his distraction, landing face down on a smelly patch. He sat up, scrunching his nose up as he realized he was near a stable and what exactly he had landed into. "Eww!"

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Monami paused, as she came face to face with Amma ji, and Karan watched them carefully.

"Aye mori", Amma ji said, a pleasant tone to her voice which made the academy people raise their eyebrows in surprise. "Idhar aa. Mere paas kuch hai jo tujhpar bahut achha lagega. Tu bhi pasand kar le kuch gehne. Pehlo, par Sanju ki pasand, haan. Uski shaadi hogo, na?"

"Amma, aapko pata hai, na, isne Anuj ko naa kari hogo", Kundan muttered in her ear.

"Haan, toh?" She said. "Pato hai hume. Padhe likhe naa hum, par buddhu bhi naa hain hum." She smiled at her. "Chal, mori."

She looked at Karan, and then the rest, yelping in surprise as she was pulled along into the room.

"Suman ji ko kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai."

"#Me too", Chitra said.

"Hridya parivartan?" Prem ji asked, staring at them.

"Kyun? Kaise? Janaab?"

"Mujhe nahi pata", Karan said, staring at them, just as confused.

Bala rubbed his eyes, staring after them. "Mujhe toh vishwaas hi nahi ho raha hai."

"Someone... pinch me", Sid said, extending his hand. "Is this a dream?"

Sanju pinched his arm harshly, and he yelped, rubbing it. "Sapna toh naa hogo. Par yeh humaari saas hogo, yeh bhi naa ho sakto hai."

'Ek ki wife hai ya nahi, wo samajh nahi aa raha hai. Ek missing hai aur kisi ko kuch pata hi nahi hai. Ek ka heart change nahi, replace hi ho gaya', Sid thought. 'Sanju ko bhi yahin rehna tha?'

END OF A CHAPTER:

Note: This is set in the same universe as 'Bundelkhand', 'A Judgmental Meeting', 'The Confrontation' and 'Badlaav'. Read them before this one.
This is Part 5 of 5 in the series.

Monami smiled to herself. It was a sweet date and Karan had taken her for a drive before the two had walked around, eating ice cream. It was quite similar to the date they had on the road, but she loved it nonetheless. It was with Karan. What was there not to love?

Karan had dropped her to the right in front of the house and it was a few minutes later that she realized her bracelet had fallen somewhere. It was a gift from Sid, but thankfully, it had fallen where she had gotten down from the jeep. She hummed to herself happily as she fastened the bracelet back on.

A slight noise behind her made her pause and she turned around, inspecting the quiet veranda. She glanced at her watch. 2:38. Who was awake at this time?

Another noise from behind her made her whirl around, back to the front, in the direction she had been going in, and she frowned.

She stood still, listening for more noises, but none caught her attention and she shook her head after a minute. 'Shayad koi cat ya dog hoga', she thought, shoving her hands in her jacket's pocket and walking back to her room. 'Aaj subah hi dekhi thi ek cat. Kitni cute thi.'

A noise behind her interrupted her thoughts again and she glanced behind herself again. Nothing. She shook her head, her heels clicking lightly in the silence of the night.

A hand suddenly covered her mouth, someone else restricting her arms, and something stabbed her neck, making her scream in pain. The hold didn't waver and her body grew heavy.

She tried to struggle, but the hold was too firm for her. Her senses dulled, and she tried to keep her eyes unpeeled, but it wasn't long before her world went black.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Chitra rolled over, instinctively reaching for the person next to her to cuddle, but empty space was what greeted her.

She moaned, feeling around, before she opened her eyes. "Monami", she called, looking around. Suman ji was asleep on the cot next to her, and she looked around. Light filtered in from the windows, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Hum abhi aa rahe the tum logon ko uthaane", Faizi said, entering the room. "Tum toh uthi hui ho, Chitra." He paused, glancing around. "Monami kahan hai?"

"#No Idea, Sir", she said. "Kal raat wo humaare sone ke baad aayi hogi, but abhi kahan hai, pata nahi."

"Idhar udhar hi hogi", he said. "Tum dono ready ho jao, aur aa jao."

She nodded, reaching over and shaking the other woman as Faizi left the two girls to themselves.

Two hours later though, and no one had caught a glimpse of Monami. Karan walked in, glancing around at their serious faces.

"Kya hua?" He asked.

"Karan, Monami tumhaare saath thi raat ko?" Faizi asked.

He frowned. "Haan. Matlab 2:30 baje ke aas paas tak thi, phir sone chali gayi. Kyun? Kya hua?" He glanced around. "Kahan hai wo?"

"Pata nahi, bro", Sid said. "Hum bhi subah se usi ko dhoond rahe hain."

"Pata nahi matlab? Chitra? Suman ji?" Karan asked.

"Sir, hum jab subah uthe, toh wo #room mein nahi thi", Chitra filled in. "Aur uske aane se pehle, hum dono so gaye the."

"Call kiya kisi ne use?" He asked, whipping his phone out, and calling her. He held it up before keeping it down the next second. "Off hai."

"Pata hai, Karan. Tracker watch bhi kamre mein thi uski. Sab dhoondo chaaro taraf", Faizi said. They all dispersed, looking around the village for her. "Tension mat lo", he said, clapping Karan's back. "Yahin kahin hogi. Mil jayegi."

He nodded, jogging off and looking around the village. 'Yeh kahan chali gayi hai? Raat ko late tak uthe hue the hum, phir itni jaldi kyun uth gayi wo? Aur uthkar kahan gayi? Ya phir... wo soyi hi nahi? Raat ke 2:30 kahan jaana tha use?'

He looked around, worry growing in his gut the more his gaze didn't land on his girlfriend.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Siddharth glanced around, before shutting the door and then sliding the lock shut.

"Okay, guys, suno meri baat", he said. He gazed around at the academy people. "I think this has some thing to do with Kundan."

"Siddharth, tu dobara shuru ho gayo", Sanjana snapped, and everyone turned to her in surprise. "Yahan subah se Monami mil nahi raho hai, aur tujhe abhi bhi humaari shaadi tudhwaano par dhyaan dena hai."

"Shut up", he snapped back angrily, and everyone stared at him in shock, including Sanju. "Shut up, Sanju. Chup! SHUT UP! Tumhe nahi maanna toh mat maano. I really don't care anymore. Not everything in my life is about you. Monu missing hai. And I am mostly sure ki kisi ne use kidnap kiya hai. Meri best friend, meri family hai wo. I am very offended ki tumhe lagta hai ki main use chodhkar, tumhaari shaadi tudwaane par dhyaan doonga. Shaadi karni hai tumhe, toh kar lo. Shaadi karni hai, bacche karne hai, jo karna hai, karo. I really don't care, Sanju. Abhi kar lo shaadi jaa kar agar shaam tak ka wait nahi ho raha. Mujhe ghanta farak nahi padna."

"Siddharth, easy", Faizi said. "Sanju, tum bhi."

"Sid Bhai ji", Bala said. "Shaant jo jaaiye. Monu madam mil jayengi."

"Tumhe kyun lagta hai Kundan ka iss mein koi haath hai?" Karan asked.

"Uski jeep mein yeh mila mujhe", he said, holding a piece of cloth up. Karan straightened up, staring at it.

"Yeh toh Monami ki dress ka hai", Karan said. "Kal pehni thi aisi hi dress usne."

"Exactly. Wo uski car mein kya kar raha hai?" Sid asked.

"Ho sakto hai Kundan ji ne use ghar tak chodh diyo hai", Sanju said.

"Sanju, main ghar tak chodh kar aaya tha use", Karan said. "Uske baad wo seedha jaakar sone waali thi. Toh kal raat kahin bhi jaana, not likely." He looked at her. "Uski fiancé ke jaise nahi, ek special agent ki tarah soch, Sanju."

"Aur koi lead hai tumhaare paas?" Sid snapped. "Ya ise bhi tum galatfehmi ka naam de dogi? Ab toh tumhaare Karan Sir ji bol rahe hain. Unki baat bhi nahi maanogi?"

"Siddharth", Sanju snarled, standing up.

"Bas!" Karan snapped, glaring at the two. "Priority samajhte ho? Bacchon ki tarah lad lo bas. Aur tu, Sanju? Tu bhi bacchi hai kya jo ladne mein lagi hui hai? Special Agent hai aur priority chodhkar ladne baith gayi hai. Saathi naa bhi achha lage, toh mission par se focus nahi hataate. Dhoondle pehle Monami ko? Ya pehle ladna hai tum dono ko? Bolo!"

"Sorry, Sir ji", she said, sitting back down.

He took a deep breath, shifting his attention back to Monami. "Faizi, Sanket ko call kar. Use keh ki iss Kundan ki kundli nikaal. Aur usko kehna ki Monami ki phone par signal mile toh trace kare."

He nodded, dialing his number.

"Karan Sir, I am #sure", Chitra said. "Sone se pehle, Monami ki tracker watch nahi thi kamre mein. Wo pehenkar gayi thi."

Karan closed his eyes, rewinding to the night before. He frowned, trying to remember if she had her watch on. A bracelet on one hand. Was the tracker watch on?

He lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. She smiled back, turning and opening the door. He clutched her wrist, fingers brushing against the familiar strap of her watch, pulling her closer.

His eyes snapped open. "Kal raat jab maine use chodha tha toh bhi thi uske haath mein watch."

"Toh do possibilities", Sid said. "First, kisi ko uss tracker watch ke baare mein pata tha aur intentionally andar kamre mein chodh kar aaya, ya phir, second, wo waapas andar gayi, watch utaari then bahar aayi."

"Bahar kyun aayi?" Prem ji said. "Mujhe toh pehle par shanka hai. Ya yeh bhi sambhav hai ki kamre mein jab so rahi thi toh kisi ne upar hamla kara ho."

"Nahi, Prem ji, second", Karan said. "Mere saamne wo andar gayi thi. Chitra light sleeper hai, toh bahut kam likely hai ki koi kamre mein aaya, toh use pata nahi chalega. Aur waise bhi, kapde change karke soyi hogi. Wo waapas bahar aayi, shayad kuch gir gaya hoga."

"Correct, and us time, kisi ne use kidnap kara hoga", Faizi filled in.

"Suman ji ko lagta hai ki hume sabse pehle Kundan ke godown jaana chahiye", she said. "Suman ji ne jitne bhi serial dekhein hain us mein godown mein hi chhupa kar rakhte hain."

He racked his mind over everything that had happened the past couple of days. 'Anuj ya Aunty mein se koi involved ho sakta hai? Anuj ne uske baad Monami ko kuch nahi kaha, par ho sakta hai. Amma ji... ka toh kuch samajh hi nahi aaya mujhe, par itni smart toh nahi lagi ki backhanded tricks karengi. Jo hain, samne hain. Sabko pata hai Monami meri girlfriend hai. Khuli dhamki di thi maine toh itni himmat kiski? Kundan ke alaawa kisi mein nahi lagti. Ab ho gayi hai himmat toh use dekhne ke liye, aankhein nikaal loonga main us insaan ki. Mujhse itni der door rakhne ke liye- Focus, Karan. Usko dhoonda priority hai.'

"Okay guys", he said, a plan forming in his mind. "Listen up. Prem ji aur Chitra, Kundan ke ghar par nazar rakhenge. Chitra, agar Aunty bahar jaati hain toh unka peechha karna. Prem ji, agar ghar khaali hoga, toh jaakar andar check kar lena. Jo bhi milne aaye, photo kheencha."

The two nodded obediently, and he mulled over his next order, before nodding.

"Bala, Suman ji aur Faizi, tum dono sabse pehle andar jaoge godown mein. Siddharth ke hisaab se, wahan security hai. Andar ghuso, distract. Sanju, main aur Siddharth phir andar jayenge. Uniform mein nahi jayenge, in case we get caught and need to give an explanation. Kundan ko nahi pata chalna chahiye that hume us par shaq hai until we are sure ki wo involved hai. But I have a strong feeling ki Monami nahi bhi mili, kuch toh milega andar. That place is not clean." He looked at Sanju. She nodded her support silently, and he ignored Siddharth's slight scoff. "Mission ko naam de, Sanju."

She paused. "Mission Apharan."

He nodded. "Mission Apharan is on, guys. We'll leave in 15 minutes. Dismissed."

Everyone trailed out, till it was just him and Faizi in the room. He slumped against the wall, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

"Karan..." Faizi said, keeping a hand on his shoulder.

He opened his eyes, looking at him as fear gripped him. "Faizi, wo mil jayegi, na? Wo... wo theek hogi? Kuch hua toh nahi hua hoga use? Agar use kuch ho gaya-"

"Karan, Karan", he interrupted. "Kuch nahi hoga use. Tum shaant ho jao. Mil jayegi wo."

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. 'Monami... agar tumhe kuch ho gaya, toh zinda nahi reh paoonga main.'

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Her head pounded, and she peeled her eyelids open which seemed to be shut with glue. She squinted around, blinking.

What the hell? Where was she? Sacks and boxes were stacked around, and she tried to move, something restricting her.

She looked down at herself, finding herself tied up to a chair with ropes. She blinked, her vision swimming and she stared at them. How did the hell did she get here? What was happening? Why was she tied up?

A sore taste in her mouth made her realize that she had something stuffed in her mouth, and she strained against the ropes.

Panic bubbled up in her when she couldn't even move an inch. Footsteps made her freeze and she looked up, finding a familiar looking guy walking into her view.

She stared at him, jaw clenching, and the disgusting taste in her mouth intensified as she bit down in it.

Kundan.

Sid was right. He definitely wasn't clean. He was as dirty as it gets. Having a wife already wasn't the only black spot in his report, it seemed.

He knelt in front of her, a smirk spreading on his face, looking her up and down. "Apne uss boyfriend ke saath date se aa rahi thi tu?" He asked. "Achhi thi? Aaj ke baad, kabhi naa milegi tu usse. Humaari Amma ka apmaan kara, sab ke saamne, khule aam dhamki di. Humaare bhai ke upar haath uthaaya. Aise toh jaane nahi dete use hum."

She glared at him, starting to speak something but mumbles were all that were heard. He chuckled, reaching behind her and undoing the gag. She leaned forward as soon as her mouth was free, closing her jaw around the first part she could find of his body, which happened to his hand.

She bit down harder as soon as she got a good enough hold, tasting the metallic taste of blood, and his hand slammed into her face, forcing her to let go.

"Paagal ladki", he snarled, slapping her again, and her head whipped to the side. It was a hard hit, and her cheek stung, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She looked up, glaring at him.

"Chodh mujhe", she snarled. "Chodh, warna tere saath jo hoga, wo tujhe bilkul achha nahi lagega."

More footsteps made them both pause, and she turned her head, finding three men walking in, two clearly bodyguards of the third one.

The 'important' man tilted his gaze, looking her up and down, and she felt the urge to cover herself up. She glared at him, her palm itching to connect with his face.

"Yeh baaki ladkiyon ke saath kyun nahi hai?" He asked. He looked her up and down. "Yeh waali par toh kahan kahan tak boli lagegi.'

Her eyebrows furrowed. 'Aur ladkiyan? Aur kaun hai yahan par? Aur boli? As in auction?' Her eyes darted to Kundan. 'Oh God! Was he into flesh trade?'

"Sir, bas lekar jaa rahe the", Kundan said. He glanced at her. "Kuch baat karni thi hume."

He nodded. "Haath ko kya hua?"

"Wo... wo kuch nahi, Sir. Aise hi. Aye, idhar aa!" Kundan said, nodding to someone. "Baaki ladkiyon ke saath daal. Aur behosh kar dena ise. Yeh musibat ban sakti hai."

Her bonds were loosened, but she barely had time to think before she was in someone's hold, pulled up to her feet.

She glanced around. Five men. Too many for her alone. Her gaze dropped to their belts. All armed.

"Hi, princess", the 'important' man said, whistling a little.

"Princess hogi teri maa", she snapped back. "Jaane de mujhe, warna you'll really, really regret it."

"I know a high clients jinhe tum jaisi sherni bahut pasand hai", he said. "Jao, le jao."

The man holding her dragged her away, pushing her down and tying her hands and feet tightly. A cloth was shoved in her mouth and she tried to bite the man again, but he was better prepared, it seemed.

She glanced around the room, eyes widening as she saw the girls. Mostly, all were in suits, probably all from nearby villages. Some were unconscious, and something jabbed into her neck again, making her moan in pain.

Her eyes slid close, and she felt the ground rush by closer as her senses faded away again.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Sanjana ji?" Kundan said, and the two special agents immediately hid their guns, pocketing it. Bala, Suman ji and Faizi were spread in the warehouse already, hiding and keeping an eye in case they needed to distract. "Aap yahan?"

"Wo Siddharth keh raho tha ki... ki aakhri baar yahan the toh kuch reh gayo tha uska", Sanju lied. "Aur ise raasta yaad na tha, toh hum le aaye, aur Karan Sir ji bhi aa gayo saath mein."

His gaze dropped down to his sleeve, and he tilted his head. Why was he trying to hide his palm with his sleeve?

"Kundan, time kya hua hai?" He asked.

He lifted his hand habitually, and his eyebrows furrowed. "4 bajne waale hain."

"Haath mein kya hua tumhaare?"

He forced out a chuckle, straightening his palm. "Kuch naa. Bas kaam karte hue idhar udhar lag jaati hai."

He nodded. "Of course."

"Aapke kaan mein kya..." He said, pointing to his ear piece. He was the only one out of the three wearing it, precisely for this reason. The other two had theirs in their pocket, in case it had come to a fight, but for now, he was the only one connected by the other three hiding by it.

"Calls ke liye", he answered. "Almost hamesha hota hai. Convenient hai. Tumne abhi notice kara hai?"

"Kundan Bro", Siddharth said. "Tum apna kaam kar lo, hum dekh lenge."

"Tum baitho humaare office mein, hum apne ladkon se bolte hain dhoond le. Bolo. Kya ghuma hai tumhaara?"

"Nahi, nahi, bro", he said. "No trouble. Hum dhoond lenge. Karan ki nigha eagle jaisi. Bahut tez. Unse kuch nahi chhootta."

Kundan smiled. "Humaare ladke aas paas dikha denge tumhe."

"Kundan ji, hum hain. Hum dikha deto hain", Sanju interjected.

He was reluctant to leave, but the three managed to shoo him away, and Karan watched after him.

"Jhoot bol raha tha yeh", he said, when he was sure he was out of earshot. "Kaam karte hue chot nahi lagi ise. Kisi ne kaata hai ise. Kisi insaan ne."

"Monu?" Siddharth asked.

"Most probably", he said.

"Karan Bhai ji", Bala said in his ear piece. "Yahan ladkiyan bahut saari. Bandhi hui. Mujhe pakka yakeen hai yeh inhe bech raha hai."

His eyes widened. "Kya? Bala, tu kahan hai? Aur Monami hai wahan?"

"Wo toh nahi dikh raha, Sir ji. Yeh iska office hai, na, usse ek kamra chodh kar. Yahan par bahut aadmi hain, aur ek boss types gunda bhi hai. Isko maine Kundan se Sangeet par baat karte hue dekha tha."

"Andar mat jaana. Bas bahar reh. Suman ji, Faizi, aap bhi wahi jaaiye. Hum teenon bhi aa rahe hain."

He looked at Sanju. "Iske office ke paas waala kamra kahan hai?"

"Chaliye, Sir ji", she said, and they glanced around, before ducking down and moving after her. "Ke bola Bala ne?"

"Kundan ladkiyon ki trafficking karta hai", he answered, and she paused ahead him, turning around and staring at him wide eyed. "Sanju, chal."

She nodded, leading the way. He ducked down, the six meeting up and they all peeked out, staring at them.

The girls were all lying down, too low from his angle to see if his girlfriend was among them. He counted the men. 8, including who he assumed was the boss, considering he was the only one sitting and Kundan.

"Faizi, yeh boss, teri responsibility", he muttered. "Bhaagna nahi chahiye. Teri priority wo hogi."

"Yes, Karan."

"Bala, Suman ji, Sanju ghoomkar uss darwaaza par jao." They nodded, and a minute later, he got the confirmation in his ear piece. He cocked his guns, Faizi next to him doing the same. "Bala, Suman ji, Siddharth, ladkiyan nikaalna tumhaara kaam. 3, 2, 1, go", he counted down, before he burst in, guns raised and pointing at them.

"Don't move", he ordered. "Hile, toh udhane se pehle sochoonga bhi nahi."

"Haath upar", Faizi said.

His gaze dropped down to the girls, inspecting them. His search stopped when his girlfriend's familiar form greeted him, clearly unconscious like the other girls. His grip tightened on his guns, and his jaw clenched.

A gun cocking made him look up, and he saw one pointing a gun to an unconscious girl. "Gun neeche, warna ise maar doonga."

Karan pulled his trigger, catching him in the shoulder, and he screamed, clutching it, his gun falling down. "Gadha", he muttered, shaking his head.

"Gun phenko sab", he ordered. "3 tak count karoonga. 1." Guns clattered to the ground, almost immediately, the boys raising their hands "Cadets, ladkiyon ko dekho. Sanju, guns utha. Faizi, nazar rakh sab par."

He lowered his own, as everyone moved to complete their orders. He paused for a second, inspecting the men, but when no one moved, he darted to his girlfriend.

"Monami?" He muttered, gently cradling her. "Monami?" He tapped her cheek lightly. She didn't even move. His heart pounded in his chest, and his hand hesitantly slipped down to her wrist.

A steady beat pulsed against his fingers and he sighed in relief.

"Aye", Sanju yelled, and his head snapped up, just in time to see Kundan darting away.

"Siddharth, Monami ko dekh", he said, darting after him. He didn't pause like Sanju had, instead running right after him, chasing him all the way to the village.

"Kundan, aise kahan bhaage jaa raho hai?" Amma ji said, the entire village in one place, probably for the wedding.

"Amma, abhi nahi", he said.

"Aye, maure, ruk", she said, halting him.

Karan clutched his collar, catching up, and he slammed him into a wall. The entire village seemingly gasped as one as Karan placed the barrel of his gun on his forehead.

"Itni asaani se toh nahi bhaagne doonga tujhe main", he growled.

"Aye, maure, paagal ho gaya hai kya? Chodh use", Amma ji said.

"Aapka beta ladkiyon ko bechta hai. Human trafficking. Flesh trade. Major crime hai yeh. Isne meri girlfriend ko kidnap kara hai, and yeh use bechne chala tha. Agar aap iski tarafdaari karengi, toh aapko bhi arrest karwa doonga", he said, not taking his eyes off him. "Aur tu. Tu meri girlfriend ko bechne chala tha. Tu hila, aur main yeh trigger daba doonga. Seedha uss dimaag mein jaakar lagegi jo tune bilkul use nahi kara Monami ko kidnap karne se pehle. Ek second ki neend bhi nahi udhegi meri."

He slumped in his hold, and Karan was almost disappointed. He really had wanted to shoot him.

An hour later, he watched the police take him away. Faizi had personally talked to their head, an old friend of his, and he would launch a thorough investigation of everything.

Arms snaked around him, and he looked down, pulling Monami close to him. "Tum theek ho, na?" He muttered, pressing a kiss to her head.

"For the 25th time, haan, main theek hoon", she said. She smiled at him. "Thank you. Meri jaan bachaane ke liye."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Apni jaan ko bachaane ke liye thank you nahi accept karoonga main." He stared at her. "Tumhe kuch ho jaata toh-" He halted when she kept a finger on his lips.

"Kuch nahi hua mujhe. Main theek hoon. And Sanju bhi uss stupid, evil Kundan se shaadi nahi karegi. All's well that ends well?"

He sighed, nodding.

"Monu!" Siddharth called. "Apne Khadoos ke saath hi rahegi ya humaare saath bhi aayegi. Come on, bro!"

She pulled away from him, smiling at him before running to her friends, who hugged her. He watched, sighing a little, a small smile pulling through.

All's well that ends well, indeed.